Arts & Activities - Page 26

COMMUNItY connections w hen I was a substitute teacher, I was often called to serve for extended periods. This offered me opportunities to implement new lesson plans and experiment with ideas. One year, I was asked to cover a long-term assignment at a middle school with only a day’s notice. I had no idea what materials would be available or how many students would be in each class. I ﬁrst had to choose an artist to study. Keith Haring came to mind because his style of work and life story intrigue young minds. He also offers opportunities to cover key concepts such as line, color and emphasis, and for students to develop skills in creating personal narratives, as well. To be fully prepared, I also needed to ﬁnd materials from a resource outside the classroom to start the ﬁrst lesson. The solution? Brown paper bags, which a local market generously supplied. After gathering resources and making an information packet about the artist, I decided the students would generate paintings on the bags in the bold, colorful style of Haring. And, the bags would eventually be redistributed back to the public. A major point of interest in Keith Haring’s story is how he took his art to the public, drawing many of his designs on subway-station panels. The simple style of his drawings caught the attention of all who saw them, and he quickly recognized he could communicate to the public through them. Haring is known for many profound accomplishments in his short life, and has been recognized for his social activism. Tapping into this aspect of his story became a major objective for this project. This might sound like a typical art lesson, but it went beyond what students learned about Haring and how well they executed their designs. It was also how well the students’ work was received by the public and what students gained from the experience. finished art bags by katy, sarah and robin (left to right). by Debra Tampone that their interpretations were correct. Students freely talked about what they were seeing and how it made them feel. Next came a short writing assignment in which they were to interpret the message of a Haring artwork we had not yet discussed, which helped build their skills in processing written work and interpreting what they see. Because Haring believed his art could have a positive impact on society, he often chose topics he felt were important. Students were also to think about important, positive messages they wanted to share with the public. Topics ranged from recycling and global warming to bullying, peer pressure and more. the lesson Began wIth Images of Haring’s public works. Students were bedazzled by their vibrancy, scale and color, and intrigued by his semiotic symbols. As we discussed possible meanings for these symbols, students learned 26 robi is a study in concentration as he paints the border of his bag. o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3 • 81 y e a r s x www.ar tsandactivities.com

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